Kickstand!!
My wife and I just left the automotive paint place where she had picked out the color for the mixte I am building for her. She asked the question"Will this bike have a kickstand?" I got a bit quiet and replied "Custom built bikes don't get them"! It fine for our touring bikes but not for this one.
So.....? Thoughts?? |
Originally Posted by Tandem Tom
(Post 22395270)
My wife and I just left the automotive paint place where she had picked out the color for the mixte I am building for her. She asked the question"Will this bike have a kickstand?" I got a bit quiet and replied "Custom built bikes don't get them"! It fine for our touring bikes but not for this one.
So.....? Thoughts?? https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...24e8d12ea.jpeg . |
I brazed a kickstand plate (with a fender mount) on my town bike. I mounted a pletscher 2 leg kickstand to it and love it. I don't agree with the statement "Custom built bikes don't get them", custom bikes are custom and get what they need and want.
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Well. Food for thought! 😄😄
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Glenn Erickson is a hero framebuilder, contender for GOAT, who also has tons of medals from Nationals and District championships. You wouldn't be able to hold his wheel in his prime. He had kickstands on a couple of his custom bikes and no patience for anyone who thinks they are too good for one. They are handy and should be required by law on anything but a racing bike IMHO. OK kidding about the law, but really, get over it.
Use a braze-on so you don't squish the chainstays. Gratuitous Erickson bike porn shots from Buycycling magazine: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ac340fac83.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...13e33eab9d.jpg (Note in case you don't like artsy lugs, he did lots of simple classical designs too.) Mark B |
Framebuilder's supply has the braze-ons. I have a couple for when I build a utility bike.
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There are plenty of pletscher and greenfield kickstands that will coordinate well with most any frame, and look good once mounted.
For certain people who prefer having a kickstand, they do serve an important function and ultimately better protect the bikes & frames of the kickstand forever crowd. Some folks just don't like to lay the bike on its side on the ground, or have to resort to propping up the bicycle by resting it against a fence, a railing, a tree, a stump, a tailgate, a lamp post, a concrete cinder block wall, an ivy covered brick wall, the side of a Port-O-Let, or a roadside guard rail..... Didn't the MC-5 have a somewhat popular loud , garage-noise rock song back in late 1968, that went "kick on your stands, ____ ____." ?? |
The reason to have a custom frame is so it can be like what you want and need. Not what the builder is about, IMO. Take Doug's advice and make the wife happy. Andy
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Tom, here are some tips for when you braze a kickstand plate onto your wife's bike (after you have allowed enough time to mourn and recover from the loss of what you wanted to do). Braze an M10 SS washer over the hole. Put the curved side down next to the plate and leave the flattest side up. That makes it easier to braze and the kickstand washers prefer resting against the flattest side. This has to be done with silver (56% works fine). Do this before brazing the plate to the frame. While it isn't as important, I also braze the water bottle boss in the tab to hold the fender before brazing the plate onto the frame too. After it is painted the paint can be removed from the top of the washer. Now the kickstand's lock washer won't scar the paint. The washer provides additional strength to the plate. That long kickstand arm has a lot of leverage that the kickstand plate has to withstand. Which reminds me that you must braze on the plate with brass and not silver. I made the mistake of brazing the 1st of our Messenger bikes kickstand plate with silver and it couldn't withstand the forces of kickstand.
The position of the plate on the frame will depend on where the tab w/bottle boss places the fender. Ordinarily this is the same distance from the rear axle as the seat stay bridge. It is always a bit of a trick to get it on straight (so the kickstand will be positioned properly against the frame). I use an adjustable parallel but there are other ways. After I get it in position, I put a very small spot on one corner. Then I check to see that it is square and if not it can be adjusted (I usually gently hit is with my little brass hammer). When positioned properly spot the other side. When you are ready to braze it up, 1st braze the side you originally spotted. They take a lot of heat. You might need to trim the edges to match the angles of the chain stays. Do this before brazing the plate to the frame. There is no reason for them to be sticking out much beyond the stays. When we get together for another fillet brazing session, we can do the kickstand bridge if you are that far along on your wife's bike. If not we can do it on one of our Ukraine frames. I can do it and you can blame me. No wait you want credit for adjusting to your wife's request so never mind. Here are some pictures of brazed on plates before and after. One time I couldn't find a supplier for these plates so I made one out of flat stock. Fortunately I had the drawing from the company that makes my laser cut fixtures in Ukraine. You can see the pattern before bending in the middle plate. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1d81c65ab.jpeg This is on one of our transportation bicycles we make for pastors in Ukraine https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e784a43e8.jpeg This is on my personal bike I use on bike trails https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...08d52dd4e.jpeg These are the kickstand plates I have made in Ukraine. Those are M10 SS washers I braze over the center hole. |
Originally Posted by bulgie
(Post 22395401)
Glenn Erickson is a hero framebuilder, contender for GOAT,
Mark B Glenn's son is pretty fast too. |
I have a kickstand on 2 of my 3 bikes. I do like them
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+1 on a kickstand for your wife's bike. After all, it's a custom bike!
:) |
I'm mostly a commuter and I find kickstands very practical. Have them on three customs bikes, with a kickstand plate. The Esge double-leg is very good and I even managed to wear one out (it still works). I do find that the bolt tends to loosen after a while. Also consider braze-ons for a dutch-style wheel lock. Makes your life easier when running errands.
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Originally Posted by tuz
(Post 22400686)
I'm mostly a commuter and I find kickstands very practical. Have them on three customs bikes, with a kickstand plate. The Esge double-leg is very good and I even managed to wear one out (it still works). I do find that the bolt tends to loosen after a while. Also consider braze-ons for a dutch-style wheel lock. Makes your life easier when running errands.
Locks in America seemed to be designed and marketed for big city use. Will your bike still be there if parked in NYC? Well I don't live in a big city leaving a bike parked outside for a full working day. I run errands in a town with a population of 15,000. I don't leave my bike parked for a long time and mostly just need one to discourage a spur of the moment opportunist. I think the only reason they aren't much more popular in the US is because we aren't familiar with them and their advantages. I love mine. If I was building a touring bike, I would certainly add those 2 small water bottle bosses for them on the seat stays. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2feb38361.jpeg |
Nice! Didn't notice it in the first pic. It's nice that your lock has slanted slots, makes locating the braze-ons less critical. Mine have vertical slots which don't always match the seatstay spacing. Those locks even hold the key while unlocked. Have three!!
They've been effective so far here in Toronto. A friend of mine in Rochester NY still had his bike taken but the thief couldn't go far because you can't roll the bike. Caught up to him and only suffered a broken spoke. Wish I had one on my tandem. Got stolen last week in a snow bank at -15C. :bang: |
If you have ever tried to lift a Dutch style bike, you know why the locks are so effective. Not going to carry one very far.
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+1 Happy wife happy life. A custom bike has whatever you want it to have.
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